Actions (GoE)
This page lists potential actions in LoC that consume PP, gives an in-depth description of those actions, notes any rules that apply, and lists several examples. If you are unsure of what Actions, PP, or LoC are, please see the page. =Warning= As all actions add something to the world and setting, it is required that these actions be reflected in the wikia as well as in-game. "Reflected in the wikia" simply means that if a participant creates a race, a page for that race should be created on the wikia stating who created them and either referencing a WotC source regarding that race or, if homebrewn, giving a brief description of their appearance and culture (a paragraph or two is splendid). Additionally, that page should have the proper category tags applied. The same goes for beasts, artifacts, exarchs, planes, etc. This allows other participants and gamemasters (who might be interested in running a campaign in the LoC world) to understand what these creatures or things are and interact with them. =Brief List of Actions= The following list provides a brief summary of the various actions. * 0PP Cantrip - This action can produce a variety of low-level effects. * 1PP Nourish - This action causes the target to thrive and prosper. * 1PP Command - This causes the target to perform, adopt, or discover a particular type of behavior. * 1PP Mold (Minor) - This creates or modifies a small amount of land, water, or similar substance. * 2PP Harm - The opposite of the Nourish action, this brings calamity to the target. * 2PP Spawn - This creates a creature that could present a threat to a PC. * 2PP Mold (Moderate) - This creates or modifies a moderate amount of land, water, or similar substance. * 3PP Beget - This creates a being of divine origin, usually an exarch or god, and rarely a mortal hero. The cost for this action is reduced by 1 if the cost is shared between two gods. * 3PP Forge - This creates some inanimate object of divine nature (aka, an artifact) that is capable of influencing mortals and the world in general. Additionally, this creates a concept or grants a god particular control over an aspect of the world. * 4PP Shape - This creates a race of intelligent beings. * 4PP Craft - This creates an avatar or plane of existence. * 4PP Mold (Greater) - This creates or modifies a large amount of land, water, or similar substance. * XPP Alter - This modifies an existing thing and turns it into something else. =Action Descriptions= The following provides in-depth information regarding each action. Cantrip - 0 PP Cantrips are a variety of low-level actions that do not cost actual PP. These are either minor or temporary actions. Generally, anything that is less powerful than a regular action could potentially be a cantrip. A god might create a babbling brook, or a few rabbits, etc. These are permanent affects, but anything that is created for free can also be destroyed for free. Alternately a god's presence might cause crops to thrive, resulting in a nourish for the area. Or they might cause a stone pillar to arise so that they can survey the land. As soon as the god leaves, however, the effects also leave and the area returns to normal. Nourish - 1 PP This action causes the target of the action to thrive and prosper. Targets can include creatures, land, nations, etc. When land is created it is barren, devoid of life, and lacking general resources. The nourish adds ecosystems to that land. It may also add resources that are not part of the general ecosystem but which may benefit mortals (such as ore, gems, etc). Likewise, usually when a population is created, only a handful of creatures are present. The nourish action might cause them to reproduce, have plenty of food, accumulate wealth, etc. Examples Thor, lord of Thunder, went to war against the frost giants. With his hammer, Mjolnir, he slew countless foes and their shattered bodies fell to earth as snow. As the bodies decayed and the snow melted, the land was renewed and would provide bounty for those living on it. When Hermes killed Argos of the Many Eyes he plucked out each and hide them in the earth. In time men found them and called them gems, for they were like stones and of great beauty. Other Considerations A nourish doesn't have a set effect. That is, nourishing a populace wont cause it to gain a certain number of citizens, nor can two nations be directly compared by the number of nourishes they have. Generally a single nourish wont cause a hamlet to suddenly become a metropolis, but the specifics are usually left up to individual players. Command - 1 PP This instructors the target in a matter of divine will. While the target of this action is usually a sentient creatures, such gnomes or humans, non-sentient creatures and even inanimate objects can be affected by this. When the first sentient population is created in the world they know very little, just enough to survive in the wild: they are effectively a hunter-gatherer society. The gods use this action develop the cultures of the mortals they create. Gods may also directly communicate their will to mortals through this action, causing them to migrate, go to war, or sue for peace. This can also be used to cause a race or nation to become well known for a particular skills. When animals or monsters are commanded, they can adopt migratory patterns or specific yet simple behaviors. When inanimate objects are commanded, could set up natural laws of the universe, or it could force the objects to act contrary to their assumed behavior. For example, a waterfall might be commanded to flow upwards. Examples In early times mortals did not know how to create or use fire; this was a tool of the gods. Yet Prometheus, one of the gods, took pity on those below and stole fire to give to them. Aule crafted the dwarf lords in ages long since passed, yet he gave them to Eru who put them to sleep until the time for his children came. When at last the elves woke, and then in turn the dwarves, Aule instructed them in many things, including the Valar who created Middle Earth and resided in the undying lands. The Israelites fled Egypt and slavery, but the armies of Pharaoh pursued them. Then, the Israelites came to the Sea of Reeds and there they could go no further. The power of God blew down and instructed the sea to part so that they Israelites might cross on dry ground. Other Considerations While it isn't necessary to spend PP to teach every basic technology to a culture, it is frown upon if a player create a race and assumes they are already at the same technological and sociological level as other races in the game. Technologies or the sort that might not be present in a normal setting (airships, for example) should be specifically noted in the Wikia. Likewise with homebrewn classes. Mold (Minor) - 1 PP The Mold action serves to create or alter existing landforms. This can raise a mountain out of a continent, cause an island to rise from the ocean floor. Land is the target of this action. When the game begins, there is nothing in existence. The first gods must create the world itself. They use this action to create valleys, bays, mountains, volcanoes, etc. Examples Poseidon became angry and he struck the island. That which he had raised from the depths of the ocean return to the depths. The mountain he raised became a valley and it was swallowed in water. Morgoth fled from the undying lands and returned to his broken fortress. Above the gates he errected a mountain, the Iron Hill. Other Considerations To note, causing land fall on top of a nation in order to destroy it requires both a Harm action and a Mold action. Harm - 2 PP This action causes calamity to befall an area. It will cause fire to rain from the sky, disease to sweep through a population, floods to cover the land, drought to destroy crops in the field, etc. The targets of this action are the same as the targets for the Nourish action. Examples Apollo heard the lament of Chryses, his priest, and he rained down a pestilence upon the Greeks with his arrows of disease. The Greeks became sick and could not move from where they happened to lie. And God became angry with the Egyptians and caused the waters of the Nile to turn to blood, and throughout all of Egypt, so that the land stank with decay. Spawn - 2 PP This action produces creatures and monsters; anything that is not a sentient race but can still offer a combat challenge to a group of adventurers falls into this category. This action does not have a target but rather a product. The gods not only create the land but the inhabitants of the land as well. Not all of the inhabitants are creatures one would desire to run into. Mundane creatures, such as rabbits or ants, are created via the nourish action. Examples Athena became angry at Poseidon and Medusa for defiling her temple. She struck Medusa with a curse, causing her beauty to fade away. Her form became twisted, like that of a snake, and her hair fell out, being replaced by a writing mane of serpents. She was so foul that any who looked upon her might be turned to stone. Other Considerations The difference between a creature produced by this action and one produced by the nourish action is the things general threat level. Any creature, no matter how mystical and fantastical it might be, that is not a threat to an adventurer is produced via the Nourish Action. Anything that could be a threat is a Spawn Action, unless the creature is a sentient race, in which case it is the Shape Action. Mold (Moderate) - 2 PP A more powerful version of the Mold (Lesser) action. This too serves to create or alter existing landforms. This can raise a mountain range out of a continent, cause an archipelago to rise from the ocean floor. Land is the target of this action. Beget - 3 PP A divine being creates another being of divine origin, either as an equal or as a servant. Examples Odin went into Jord and in time the Giantess gave birth to Thor, who is called the Thunderer. He was counted as mighty among the gods. Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon and lay with Alcmene. In time she gave birth to Hercules, a hero of great renown. Venus and Mars come together in passion and from their congress was born Cupid, who came to serve his mother and spread love of beauty throughout the world. Other Considerations This action has two primary purposes. One is to create a new, fully independent god, which allows a new player to begin participating in the campaign creating process. This is not the only way for a new god to enter the game, however. Please see the page for more information. The other purpose is to create a divine servant that is under the control of the creator god/participant (these beings are called Exarchs). An Exarch provides additional roleplaying opportunities and they can interact with Mortals more easily than the gods themselves. Mortal heroes might also fall into this category, though they needn't necessarily be created this way. A bonus is granted to this action if the cost of it is shared by two gods. Specifically, the cost of the action is reduced from 3PP to 2PP (thus, 1PP for each participating god). A single god performing the begat action must spend the full 3PP. Forge - 3 PP A god creates an inanimate object of divine or metaphysical nature out of nothing. This may be an artifact that influences the world and serves the god's purposes or it might be a domain such as Water or Travel that becomes fundamental to the universe. Examples Working day and night for countless years, the god Hephaestus forged a mighty chariot that could withstand the heat of the sun and the arduous climb of the sky. This he gave to Helios, who drives the chariot daily, so that the earth might have light. Other Considerations This action creates divine artifacts, such as the Hand and Eye of Vecna or the Axe of Dwarven Lords, which can be used to direct mortals, combat other gods, or effect the world in general. When an artifact is created its effects on the world/those who hold it should be clearly established, although a formal stat-block is not required. Please see the rule page for more information. This action can also create a new Domain or formalize one and add it to the creating god's portfolio, if the god has an open slot. Mold (Greater) - 4 PP A most powerful version of this act, the Mold Greater action allows a god to create or alter landforms on the scale of continents or oceans. Examples Fox looked across the endless sea and desired a dry place to rest. And so he caused there to be dry ground on which he could sleep. Other Considerations When oceans are created, it is assumed that they are created with an ocean floor as well. There is no need to create land for the ocean to sit atop. Of course, if so defined at the time of creation, a god can just create an ocean's worth of water without the associated ocean floor. Additionally, both continents and oceans are utterly featureless and devoid of life and resources. Shape - 4 PP This action creates a sentient race of creatures; they are apart from the dumb beasts of the field. They are capable of understanding the gods and mastering the world around them. Examples Odin and his brothers came across a log and from that they fashioned a woman and a man. These two went out and produced all the people that now live today. Other Considerations This action creates a sparsely distributed populace in a single location. Races may be a single nation, or they may have several nations, or they may be part of other nations but have no centralized authority themselves. Players should attempt to develop a race's culture through RPing and the command/nourish actions. Craft - 4 PP This action creates an Avatar, a mix of divine and mundane matter that a god can use to interact with the world more effectively. Alternately, this can create an additional plane of existence. Examples In the beginning there was Ginnungagap, a great expanse between frigid Niflheim and burning Muspelheim. Odin and his brothers slew the Giant, Ymir, and from his body created the world that is. So was formed Midgard, the world of men, and Alfheim too, where the light-folk reside. Asgard and Jotunheim, also, were made, and other worlds too. Other Considerations An avatar is a physical manifestation of a god that can more-readily interact with mortals. With this a god no longer needs to interact with the material world through the medium of exarchs or other servants. However, this also allows mortals the possibility of attacking or capturing that god. Please see the page for more information. This action can create additional planes of existence, such as the Feywild or Sigil. While the creating god may establish a general theme for the plane at the time of creation (such as making the Feywild a haven for wildlife and fey creatures, or in making the Plane of Fire full of heat and fire), the actual features of the plane must be established using Actions and PP. Important: Once a plane has been created, any and all gods are entitled to help shape it if they so choose, though any and all gods should ideally support the pre-established theme. Alter - X PP The Alter action is unique in that it does not do anything by itself. Rather, it allows a god to change one thing into something else. A god may use this action to turn Elves into Eladrin, stones into Dwarves, or human into apes. It can also modify Artifacts and Exarchs. The PP cost for this action is determined by what the final product of the action is. The cost is the full PP expenditure as the resulting object if it had been made with any other action. For example, turning stones into Dwarves would cost 3PP, as it costs 3PP to Shape a populace. To turn humans into dire apes would require 2PP, the same as if the Dire Apes were Spawned independently. Other Considerations This action is primarily for fluff purposes; elves and eladrin are not related unless one was created from the other using this action. Category: Rules (GoE)